The Queen Maker

by Kristen Gupton

  “Also, when I return, I do intend to find a way to marry you. Church Laws be damned, I will find a way,” he said.

  Thana didn’t know how to respond to that, still overwhelmed he had such strong feelings. For a moment, the painful thought of him going to war was pushed aside, and all she could do was nod in response.

  Keiran flashed one more look over his shoulder, and seeing no one, he gave her another quick kiss before starting to back away. His feelings for her made it the most difficult part of leaving. “I love you, and I will be back as soon as I can manage.”

  Thana felt her eyes sting but fought back the tears. Instinct urged her to beg him not to go, but she knew she had to be strong. He was the king, and there were things he had to be a part of. Her hands came up to rest over her chest, feeling the pendant he’d given her beneath her dress.

  “I love you, too. I will be waiting.”

  He noticed the threat of tears in her eyes and quickly spun around and left the room. The king, too, was fighting a horrible burn in his eyes, and the last thing he wanted Thana to see him do was cry.

  Kanan caught up with the vampire in the courtyard soon after, going over some of the travel details with him. The old man was fairly animated about the whole ordeal even if his squinted eyes and frazzled appearance gave up the fact he’d not slept much the night before.

  Keiran listened as they moved to the stable to retrieve his horse, Porter. He mounted and looked over things one last time, Kanan going along at his side on his own mount. The young king was inexperienced with war as a whole and relied heavily on the head of the Royal Guard to tell him if everything was in order.

  When the elder guard assured Keiran they were as prepared as they could hope to be, the king gave the order for them to move out.

  ***

  Edinau was enjoying a break from the snow, at least, what little of the town was left. Many of the buildings had been burned down when the Sadoris had ridden in and slaughtered most of the population. Now, the town square was filled with field tents to house General Danier’s soldiers. The few remaining buildings were mostly stores and warehouses the Sadoris had left intact to pillage for supplies.

  Danier was up near one of the mines, surveying the activity there. Keiran’s suspicion that some men had been taken as slaves to work the mines had been correct. It would take the Sadoris a few weeks to get their own miners moved into the region, at which time their surviving prisoners would be executed. There was no need to waste food on anyone who wasn’t of Sadori lineage longer than absolutely needed, after all.

  He hoped the miners could be moved in soon despite the weather. Many of the Tordanian workers had already died, either from injuries they’d sustained in the initial fight or their following attempts at escape. Dozens of men had been collected out in the forest in the days immediately after the invasion. While they had fled out of the town, without supplies and unable to travel any great distance in the weather, it had been easy enough to round them up.

  Food was tightly rationed as the supply trains from the river weren’t traveling well in the snow. Though the Sadoris had Tordanian wagons they’d captured, with their wide wheels designed for the snow, it wasn’t going well. The Sadoris were using their own horses to pull them, and it was problematic. Their horses were light and built for speed whereas the native draft horses were massive, heavy animals capable of pulling through snow.

  Most of those animals had been killed, however. With their supply line interrupted, the Tordanian horses had turned into nothing more than a source of protein. The hungry soldiers had possessed no qualms at all about eating them.

  For the most part, snow was an alien thing to the Sadoris. On the other side of the river, the ground was relatively flat. The moisture in the air was squeezed out over the Tordan Mountains, leaving the terrain south of the border more arid. Snow was a rarity in the Sador Empire. It was taking time for his men to adjust, but the general believed they would learn to cope with it soon enough.

  As he watched the work around him, he couldn’t help but notice the sounds of coughing. In the previous few days many of his men had begun showing signs of a minor illness. The surviving Tordanians didn’t seem afflicted by it, however, so the general wasn’t particularly worried.

  Danier pulled the cloak he’d taken from a dead Tordanian closer around his shoulders. He’d been born in the southernmost regions of his native empire, and his home was sun-soaked and warm all year long. Once he became emperor, he would certainly build his palace there. He wouldn’t miss the northern reaches or the miserable Tordanian weather in the least. For now, though, it was a necessary inconvenience.

  Despite the weather, the coalmines were producing. Politically, this was great for him as no other attempt at invasion had managed to get the asset flowing so quickly. When their ships had docked on the Tordanian side of the river, they had immediately begun to load up with the coal in the storehouses there.

  Instead of that coal going onto Tordanian barges and heading toward the coast, the Sadori ships were sailing upstream, several loads already delivered to their river port, Takrah. There were rows of loaded wagons ready and waiting to be taken down to the port in Lodain. With the break in the weather, the order was finally given to send them.

  “General, I bring news.”

  He turned, spotting one of his lieutenants nearing. Danier looked the man over, seeing him shivering terribly. There was frost in the other man’s moustache. “What is it?”

  The man dropped to one knee momentarily, showing proper reverence for his superior officer. “As you expected, the Tordanians are aware of our presence. We’ve spotted some of their scouts in the region. Our archers have killed some of them, but those rats certainly had more we didn’t see.”

  “Yes, I imagine there were,” he replied casually, letting his eyes drift back over toward where the mining carts were being laden with coal. “I’m eager to see what this new king brings for us. If nothing else, I suppose we can use some of his soldiers to replace the Tordanians we’ve already lost in the mines. Go and double the number of scouts we have northward. I want to know when they are nearing, and I want to see this vampire for myself.”

  ***

  Once Keiran’s entourage had met up with the soldiers traveling from nearby military camps, the entire group of men numbered just over a thousand. Keiran rode somewhere in the middle of the pack, with Kanan and Jerris flanking him. He’d never been in such a large group before. While he was impressed with the sheer number of men and horses, he knew that in the ways of war, it really wasn’t much.

  The young king couldn’t help but notice the ages of those making up the army. There were a large number of older men and several teenage boys, but men of Jerris and Keiran’s own age were few. The Mother’s Plague had taken most of their generation, leaving the military with a considerable deficiency of men in their prime. Keiran knew the Sadoris would probably have similar demographics in their military, however, as their land had also suffered the plague.

  It had long been speculated the Mother’s Plague had arrived in Tordania with the Sadoris during a previous invasion. No one believed it had occurred maliciously, the plague had simply originated far to the south, sweeping northward as it went pandemic.

  There was a light snow falling by the middle of the day, though it didn’t slow them down much. Tordanians were accustomed to the cold, snowy weather, and their progress south remained steady. If all went well, it was estimated they would reach the area invaded by the Sadoris within four days.

  Keiran looked over at Kanan frequently as they went along. He had questions about what they would find, and eventually he asked the older man about the previous conflicts with the Sadoris.

  Kanan gave a shake of his head and a shrug. Though it had been a number of years, he still had excellent recall on what happened in the past. “I’ve gone out against them several times. The first was when I was in the military, younger than you and Jerris are now. They’d come over the border
, at that time not going for the mines outright but trying to own both sides of the river to control traffic along it. Our military was stronger then, so it didn’t take much to chase them back over to their side. The second time, I was working for the Royal Guard. Jerris was just a tot. I don’t know if he even remembers me leaving for that one.”

  The redhead looked over and shook his head. “I have absolutely no recall.”

  “Regardless, that was the worst time, by far. They’d invaded, trying to take over the mines and dug in deep. They’d killed all of the Tordanians in the area, and most of the smaller towns on our side of the border had been eradicated. The Sadoris started to move their own people into the area, trying to resettle it and get the mines working. It lasted multiple years. Unfortunately, we had to be just as brutal to them as they’d been to us when we finally started to make headway.”

  Keiran nodded and asked, “Is it true they fought to the death and wouldn’t retreat?”

  “Aye,” Kanan replied. “Some of the Sadori tribes would rather die than surrender or retreat. I hope we don’t encounter it this time, but we won’t know until we engage them.”

  “I see, go on,” Keiran said.

  “Quig and I were on patrols together as we made sure the Sadoris didn’t come back after areas were cleared. It was a difficult time.” Kanan’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at Keiran quickly before drawing in a long breath.

  The king waited for the older guard to continue, and when he didn’t, it piqued his curiosity. “Quig? Quig Leoram? Thana’s father?”

  Kanan looked uncomfortable and urged his horse forward just a little faster. “Aye, that was him. He was a good man, with a much bigger heart than most of the others involved in the conflict. We lost him the next time he and I were dispatched to the front a few years later. However, we managed to get the Sadoris out shortly thereafter. It was a terrible thing.”

  Neither Keiran nor Jerris knew anything much about Thana’s father. The two men fell into a mutual silence. Keiran wondered if his death had turned Sorna into the hard woman she’d become over the years. Surely, losing a husband with a small child to take care of had to be difficult.

  Kanan had lost his wife around the same time, however, and still managed to raise Jerris without becoming completely insufferable. Still, Sorna was basically a slave while Kanan had his freedom and a home outside of the castle to retreat to with his son now and then. He didn’t dwell on it too long, knowing it was something he couldn’t understand.

  They continued to ride at a good rate throughout the rest of the day, despite the light snow falling around them. They were following the old trade road as it was the quickest way south, and toward evening, they neared the abandoned Maris Trading Post. It was the very location of Keiran’s assassination attempt a few weeks before.

  Some of the men asked if they could stop in the area to camp overnight as the buildings provided ready shelter. Keiran had a hard time agreeing, though. While he gave consent for the soldiers to occupy the trading post, he convinced his entourage to set up camp just a short distance away from the ghost town. His memories of the place were too fresh, and he had no desire to be there.

  Before long, there were multiple tents set up in a clearing back from the road where they could sleep. While the soldiers occupying the town seemed to carry on with nervous excitement late into the night, the king’s camp was much more solemn.

  Jerris wasn’t unhappy with the arrangement as he didn’t wish to be in the town, either. Still, his fear there would be more bears in the area made his sleep restless at best. The mere thought of it made his still-healing arm ache.

  ***

  Though only a day had passed since Keiran’s departure, for Thana, time was dragging. She tried to keep busy with her work around the castle, but with the king gone, routines were disrupted. It proved difficult to keep her mind off of him. The duration of his time away was going to be miserable, but she reminded herself what he was dealing with would be far worse.

  She knelt before the fireplace in the dining hall, scooping the ashes out and into a bucket. This chore was one of the first tasks she’d ever been given as a small girl. It was dirty work but relatively mindless, and she started to daydream.

  Farin stood in the doorway behind Thana, eyeing her. A sneer was on his lips as he tried to muddle through his plans to get her out of the castle. It wasn’t yet time, though he knew Keiran was far enough away not to be in a position to interfere. However, there remained too many people in the castle. He needed to get her somewhere no one would witness her kidnapping.

  Thana finished her task and stood up with the bucket in hand, turning. Seeing the guard startled her, and she flinched slightly. Her shoulders slumped, and she felt ashamed at getting caught unaware of his presence.

  “Farin, you frightened me,” she admitted, trying to slow her heart rate.

  He gave a small bow, eyes never diverting. “My apologies. I simply wished to talk.”

  Thana found it odd. The man hadn’t said more than a handful of words to her all of her life. She immediately noticed something uncomfortable in the air. Her worry about anyone knowing of her relationship with Keiran flared.

  “What of?” she asked.

  The guard sighed. “With the king not here, there is little reason for the Sadoris to send anyone to the castle for nefarious reasons. Still, I need you and the others to all keep vigilant. Many of the guards left with the king, and there are fewer sentries around for the time being.”

  She offered up a small nod, looking to the side and wishing he’d do the same. There was something in his stare that chilled her to the bone. “Aye, a reasonable request.”

  “My dear girl, let me be blunt if I may.”

  Thana cocked her head to the side, gaze moving back to the older man. “About what?”

  “Live in a state of suspicion. The Sadoris will do anything they can to gain leverage over our king. It is possible they’ve had spies in the castle. It wouldn’t be unheard of given their nature. Wicked the Sadoris are and devious. If they were to learn of your involvement with the king, you would be in grave danger,” he said, eager for her reaction.

  Thana nearly dropped the bucket she held, a cold sweat covering her skin. There was instantly a sickness in her stomach, her mind reeling. “M…my involvement with the king? Surely, I don’t know what you’re speaking of.”

  “I don’t mean to intrude, there are matters which are private, but this is a highly unusual situation, you must understand. I wouldn’t have the audacity to bring it up for its own sake. I mean, it is not my place to question the actions of our monarch, but you being in danger, well, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t give you some manner of cautionary warning.” Farin offered up a concerned smile, taking a step closer. He could see he had her attention.

  Thana took a step to the side, setting her bucket down on the dining hall table. It was a move intended to simply keep the table between her and the guard. “Farin, with all due respect, I don’t know what you’ve seen transpire, but it’s a misunderstanding, nothing more.”

  He shook his head, letting his expression grow severe. “It’s not just something I’ve noticed, Thana. Everyone has noticed. It’s been blatantly obvious since the coronation. I know a girl in your position has to be lured by power, but there are dangers with it. Frankly, it isn’t just the Sadoris you need to be concerned with. The Church Knights are onto you, too, and you know as well as I do what they are around for.”

  Her hands came up to her mouth, her heart racing. If what he said was true, she had no doubt she was going to be killed. That was all people thought the Church Knights lived to do.

  She swallowed hard, finding her voice. “Dear God, Farin, please tell me that isn’t true! Nothing has happened between Keiran and I! Please, you must believe me.”

  “Thana, it’s not up to me to believe you or not. I’m not here to endanger you. I’m the one trying to help you by giving the warning,” he said back, feigning sincerity.
“They already have their minds made up. There is nothing I can do about that.”

  “How would you know what the Church Knights intended unless you were one of them?” she asked, eyes wide. Her hands dropped back to her sides. She took a step away from the table, but he was occupying the only exit from the room. There was nowhere for her to go.

  Farin lifted his hands, trying to show her he wasn’t a threat. “Calm down, young one. Again, I’m only trying to help you. Lower your voice even discussing this with you puts my life at risk if they were to hear me. I might be one of them, but I think the law is cruel and unjust. I’m going to offer you a way out, a way to stay safe. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I owe it to your father. He and I were friends.”

  Inside, Thana struggled. All of her initial instincts were to distrust this man and get away. However, she didn’t know his history with her father, and maybe he was being honest. Surely, if he’d been there to kill her, he could have done it easily enough by sneaking up behind her and just doing it.

  Her eyes narrowed. “I was unaware the two of you were close.”

  The truth was that Farin and Quig were never close at all. Though Quig hadn’t been vocal about it, he’d disliked Farin for his laziness and lack of work ethic. The night before, though, Sorna hadn’t argued his claim regarding the subject, and he felt confident the girl wouldn’t have heard any facts to the contrary.

  He gave a sad shake of his head, gesturing weakly with his hands. “Yes, we were. Joined the military and the guard both around the same time. We fought the Sadoris together during the previous invasion. He was a good and decent man, Thana. I’ve tried to watch over both you and your mother from afar since his death, never interfering. I always waited in the wings should the need for my help arise. I hate to say it, but that time is most definitely upon us.”

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm down and collect her thoughts. Instincts aside, he wasn’t acting like much of a threat. Perhaps startling her at the outset had been an accident. Yet, there was something in her conscious mind unwilling to accept him at his word, no matter what his tone or body language indicated. Her gut reactions had rarely been wrong in her experience. There was a nervous rambling quality to his words, and she couldn’t help but think they were forced.